First drive: 2016 Chevrolet Captiva

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.﻿

This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a preselected course. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.﻿

Captivated by the 2016 Chevrolet Captiva

More standard features

Posted: 2 March 2016

The highlights:• Side steps standard• Eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat standard across the range• MyLink® upgraded to MyLink® 2 with touchscreen• Dual zone climate control standard across the range• 18-inch alloy wheels standard on all variants

What stayed the same: Body, engines and the fold-away sixth and seventh seats have all remained. The accent appears to have been on upgrading the music and connectivity systems and standardising certain items including the electrically adjustable driver’s chair, climate control, side steps and wheels.

What changed: The front end now reflects the international new Face of Chevrolet with narrower upper air intake with bowtie incorporated, rather than on the cross piece, a wider lower intake and revamped valance. Reshaped headlamps include daytime running lights, the front fog lamps are slightly different and there has been some resculpting of rear tail lights, roof spoiler and bumper-diffuser.

The interior looks tidier with the old car’s abundance of silver plastic trim making way for darker material. Dash plastic is still hard but it’s very nicely fitted and looks substantial. The dash-top box, handy for putting mobile ‘phones within satellite view and for keeping pies warm is, unfortunately, no longer there. It had to go in order to make way for the workings of the touch screen.

The familiar safety equipment including six airbags; three-point belts on all seats; ISOFix anchors; ABS brakes with EBD and BAS; ESC; traction control; trailer stability; continuously variable damping; hill start assist and hill descent control is still all present.

Other good stuff includes folding electric mirrors; power windows all around with one-touch up and down for the driver; the eight-speaker music system with RDS radio, USB and auxiliary, MP3 capability and Bluetooth; onboard computer; passive entry and start with built-in “key”; cruise control; satellite buttons on the steering wheel; auto-on headlamps and rear park assist.

It’s still thoroughly comfortable over rough surfaces and, unlike certain others, the third row is usable by most adults. Performance, while not electrifying, is decently competent and should fulfil most extended families’ needs. Over 16 400 buyers have discovered that for themselves since the vehicle first arrived here in 2007.

Three models, all in LT trim, are on offer. That’s the 2.4-litre petrol motor in manual or automatic (both six-speed) and the 2.2 turbodiesel in auto only. Captiva is offered in ten colours - four solid, five metallic and one pearl.

Prices range from R396 600 to R431 300. The warranty is for 5 years / 120 000 km (with roadside assistance) and the service plan runs for 3 years / 60 000 km. Servicing is required at annual or 15 000 km intervals.

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored launch event.

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.

This site is operated by Scarlet Pumpkin Communications in Pietermaritzburg.

Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za